A Good Read

Explore the museum to track down these objects and find out more about them. A Good Read features folks enjoying the art of reading all over the world. Here you''ll find details of works of art with a question, then pictures of the entire work of art with a description. Print these pages, take them to the museum and begin the hunt by showing children the detail and asking the question. Once the work of art has been found, share the description to stimulate more conversation!

Portrait of George Washington

This portrait of George Washington shows the first president of the United States as an important statesman and military leader. His right hand rests on what may be a copy of the Constitution, emphasizing his role as a statesman. In his left hand he holds a sword, a reference to his military achievements. The inkwell and quill on top of the table refer to law making, and the many books suggest Washington''s authority based on the written law. Can you find other images of American presidents in the galleries?

Portrait of Six Tuscan Poets

When a poet wears a laurel wreath it shows that he is well respected. The title of this painting tells us there are six poets. How many other faces can you find? Look at the green book, the arm of the chair, and the inkwell on the table. The objects on the table symbolize the importance and the value of learning. Books are associated with grammer and poetry, the pen and the inkstand represent writers and scholars, and the other objects symbolize geometry and astronomy. The six men are famous poets and philosophers who lived 600 to 700 years ago. Vasari, an artist, architect, and writer, paid tribute to these men by imagenitively bringing them together in this group portrait. If you had to paint a picture of the six smartest people you know, who would you choose? What objects would you include with them?

Virgin and Child in a Landscape

This colorful exotic bird is a peacock. In this painting, a mother and child are reading a book in a beautiful landscape surrounded by the peacock, a stag, a village, and many flowers. The flowers and animals are details that tell us that this is a religious painting about the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus. The peacock symbolizes paradise, and the stage is an ancient Christian symbol for the human soul and stands for piety. The dandelion is one of the bitter herbs in the Book of Exodus. Instead of depicting the pair in a formal pose, the artist shows a loving moment between mother and child. As Jesus sits on his mother's lap, he plays with the pages of a beautifully printed book.

The Attributes of the Arts

In the painting, many different objects are grouped together on the table. It may seem like they were chosen at random, but Chardin combined them for a specific reason. As the title suggests, each object was chosen to represent one of the arts. The well-worn books symbolize literature, the palette and brushes signify painting, and the plaster statuette of Mercury represents sculpture. Chardin also included awards for artistic excellence. Can you find them?

Portrait of a Cardinal in his Study

Can you find the eight books in this painting? The man wearing the red robe and cap is probably a Cardinal, an official of the Roman Catholic Church. We know that he is a scholar because he is surrounded by books and is even copying one by hand. Could his name be Jerome? The scene outside the window is the story of St. Jerome, a hermit who befriended a lion in the wilderness. The book and hat are also clues that tell us this painting is about St. Jerome, who translated the Bible from Hebrew to Latin.

La Lettre

The young woman in this painting is not reading the book on the table but a love letter she has just received from an admirer. She holds a gold locket that came with the letter in her left hand. In her excitement, she has dropped the envelope on the floor and stood up to read the letter. Do you get excited when you get mail? What do you think the letter says?